DO-IT-YOURSELF HISTORY

Press, 18 December 1976, Page 14

DO-IT-YOURSELF HISTORY

By

WHIM WHAM

Mr Muldoon confirmed from his home in Auckland yesterday that he would be putting the finishing touches to a second book about his parliamentary life over the summer holidays . . . follows the success of his “Rise and Fall of a Young Turk” which, with New Zealand sales of more than 35,000, was a best seller > . .—News.

The Speaker tells them that the Session’s done, The echoing House falls silent on the Quay, The Members quit lhe Chamber, every One, And leave It to the Cleaners — and to Me.

Now fades the Footstep down the Corridor, Lobby and Gallery are eerily hushed, Save where a distant Urn is whistling for The dusty Teabag, or a Loo is flushed.

The noble Edifices of our State, The old one and the new — Both incomplete — Now cease to shake in Storms of high Debate. Bare is the Bench, and empty is the Seat.

Have Members hurried home to write their Books About the Scene, the Session, and Themselves? If Rob's Example catches on, it looks Like bigger Coffee-tables or more Shelves —

To hold not only His, but also Bill’s —- WALLACE’S ADVENTURES IN MUNDOLOLAND More eagerly awaited than Fwank Gill’s Enthralling Tale, AN ISLAND IN MY HAND —

Or Brian Taiboys’ brave NON-INTERFERENCE, THE GENTLE ART: A RUGBY ESCAPADE — And I can hardly wait for the Appearance Of Minogue’s latest — POEMS, I’m afraid.

Meanwhile the Master lifts his Pen again Like Me— a lately naturalised YOUNG TURK, To glean (as Keats desired) his ’teeming Brain’ — A Sequel to that celebrated Work.

My Bosom — or Whatever — proudly glows, To feel we’re so Creative, as a Nation — With Mansfield and Muldoon, for fine-tuned Prose Our Literature deserves its Reputation.